Worm gear reduction unit



2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 14, 1930 IIIIIIIIII I l I I I I I l IIJI I ||rL S 3 2% l- Z 3 2 4 :JM: d M N 8 m 0 2 l a 2 W E N .M /al. un. 3 .I nvr. 3 mn m 7 4 3 un 38 I 3% 3 |L| n Sept. ll, 1934. G. H. ACKER 1,972,911

WORM GEAR REDUCTION UNIT Filed March 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v -lsmpl IIIIIIII M [lijn gvwantoz Patented Sept. 1l, 1934 PA E Nfl?j WORMGEA R REDUCTION UNI'I`J George. H. Acker, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor ClevelandWorm and. GearCompany, Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of 'Ohio- Application March 14, 1930;, Serial No.` 4353113'31 5 Claims.

This invention rela'tesfin-'general'to liibricating'ar-rangements; and=more particularlyto alubricatingearrangement ...for a Worm gea!" reduc.- tion uni-t;

Aecordingi to one' form whicli the* invention mayltak'ef, a wormvl gearf reduction unit may beprovided'Y with' a'1 catchNl cup preferably so1 ar-V ranged that the teeth of the worrnwheel'abovethecfup-shallialwaysV` slope toward-the cup so thatnthe'lubrieatirlg oiiwhich collects in the roots of; therA teeth'fatl the topof thegear will beid wiped.;l off and? caughtby thecup as the teeth': move downvvaadlly.v Suitable pnovision may: be:.madel to'carry the oil from the; oups toithef^bearings:-.offthe*l Worm wheel shaft, whichbearings, arei preferably of the' rol-lingV friction-A type:A Ifld'esiredtwo catohflcups'may be arranged ontoppositevsidef faces 'of thefvvorml Lwheel. and at* diarrietrnically` 'opposite positions with respect to the wor-ma1 wheeli The 'ln-venticrraflso' consists --in certain -new and originalv features; of 'l' construction -arrd combinationzof' part'se hereinafterl set forth and'- claimed.

Aithfougih,I thefnovel features which*r are lie-- lievedftof:becharacteristic-V of I' this invention will bevpartioutarlyzfpcinted-out inthe-claims appended heretoe thle inventionI itself; asY toits ohjectsfandadvantages, the modefof its operation and the manner of its organization mai/be -betterfrunderstoodtfoyreferring to -thie-v -followingde@ scription i takerrin connection withl the l accom'- panying drawings: forminga= partthereof,- in`= which= Rigil` is` a Y vertical? section through 1 a- Worm gearreductiomunit Wlth'- parts broken away tov convenience; but' theyx areintende'df to-be as generic in their application to similar parts as Llikerefrence charactersA denote 'like' parts" inv .Referring now-A to the-drawings; the Vwor-ni *gear reduction `Aunit i comprises'aI fhousingindicated :by 10 ihavirigf a Wormindicated by-l 35 Iland la worm wheeliindicated'Eby` 34-suitably 'journa-l'l'ed 'thereirr.- The-housing-10l`is-made-upof abody ll and a` cap- 21'3 removably secured-l theretoVA byi bolts` 42 'which engage theouter' races 28 of the bearing..

ports lthe side Walls' of' lthe body. Tli`es'rd"walls^ terminating' in" 'bearing'fl'anges 14 provide* part' of the" bearin'gsurfaces 15:' Thesidef'wallsjfur: ther terminate" in franges' 16"th"ot1gl1".v'vhicli' the' fastening boltsv '19' pass to` secure'th'e:cap121'? to" the body 111 Suitable strengthening ribs" 17" maybe provided by whichh may be supported'` a cooling-coil' 13 througlzwliich" cooling Water may' circulate: The" bott'on.' of the bodf' 11" is" llediwith'lub'ricating 'oil (not shown) and'forms in'y eif'ect' a reservoir" 13" for oiling the' severalV bearings: and' gearteeth v The cap 21 isprovi'dd'with a;holeal'fltsT top, whichis"closed"b'y a'screwplgj-24; this 'holb'e-v in'g for the purpose of"`fillrig' tlieunit' with 'oiif Tir-e cap" 2'1' isV 'furtlrer'providedwit't cylindrical" bearing flanges 22 c'ompilez'n'en'taysy with' theV anges" 14" and forming" the: remaidrof `1 the bearing'surf aces 15; Tlecapl is' 'further'l'provided with' a" meeting'angeGOcooperatihg With the flangeV 16on" th"e bodyiarid tlrougl'lwhicli the fastening bolts' 19"pass to holdltlie cap.' and body. together:

plates'rZB' and"26 are Boltdto th'e housing. bybolts l'toposition th'ebearing assemblies 27,' these plates beingprovidedwitlil circular anges.

assemblies; h

Mounted upon the shaft3'3`is the worm -wheelV 34'n1adupofa hub memberf' and a rng .3`7". having' teeth'` 39SV Suitablemeans,formihg,.no part'of the present'iv'entin' andiindcatedfby. 38',l may beproviddfr fastening. the .gearrii'igv 95" 37"'and hub '36 together. Suitable spacing sleeves: lilare provided between th'e gear 32l`an'd'the ir'i-.n ner races 29. Also mounted on shaft BSI-prefer"- ably'ir'roverl'iu'ng relation to tl'ieunitis a. powerA transmitting; device '40"whicli`may-vbe aispurgear.

It'will"be noted" that. the plate 26x is provided.. with an oil" groove 43" for preventing. escape.. ofoilalong th'e'shaft ina' xiianner wellk'nown in' the'art;

For assisting'in supplying .thebearings 27'with. suicientlubricant. aip'air of catch cups 53ahd 54 are provided: These'catch cups are similar. in'V vconstruction` and eaclcomprises a b'ottom wsu-mur an' opstanding sidewansowmeh is' f broken awayat 50to' connect with an`oi1 groove j downwardly moving teeth (Figs. 2 and 3).

cut in the wall of the body 11. The oil groove in one side is denoted by 51 and on the other side by 52, and each oil groove connects its particular catch cup 53 or 54 to both bearings 27. Each catch cup is secured to a ledge 55 by a plurality of screws 57 passing through a slot 49 cut in the bottom of the catch cup. By this arrangement the distance between the catch cup and the worm wheel 34 may be adjusted to the desired clearance, if necessary.

It will be noted particularly from Fig. 3 that each catch cup 53 or 54 is arranged on the side face of the worm wheel 34 to which the teeth 39 incline while they are moving from the bottom of the gear to the top, or vice versa.

It will be seen that the inherent position and shape of the teeth on the worm wheel is used to aid in carrying out the invention. The teeth 39 extend at an angle to the axis of revolution of the gear and incline toward one side face of the gear when moving from aA lower to an upper position, and incline to the other side face of the gear when moving from an upper to a lower position. It will be' noted that the catch cups 53 and 54 are spacedfrom the gear 34 so that they cannot touch it. This clearance may be in the order of 3U thousandths of an inch to allow for slight bending of the gear under load. With this clearance, when the oil is cold, it may be thick enough on the side faces of the gear to touch the cups. When the worm gear speed reducer reaches a temperature of between 150 and 180 F., which is a temperature range -commonly reached in practice, the oil may be rather well thinned out and the coating of oil on the faces of the worm gear may be less than 30 thousandths of an inch and hence not thick enough to reach the cups.

The oil level in the reservoir 13 is sufficiently highA to coat the teeth of the worm wheel 34 well with oil when they mesh the worm 35. In the following explanation of the operation of the invention, the worm wheel 34 is assumed to rotate in such direction that cup 53 is adjacent upwardly moving teeth and cup 54 is adjacent As the teeth 39 travel upwardly, the oil may run to the lower side and drops of oil may fall off the teeth and be caught by the catch cup 53. As the teeth reach their uppermost position, the remaining oil on them collects in the hollows formed by the roots of the gear teeth, and when the'teeth movedownwardlyas indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, this'oil runs off in the direction of the Slope of the teeth and is wiped off and .caught by the other catch cup 53. If the rotation of the worm wheed be reversed, it will be noted that the cup 53 will wipe and catch oil from the downwardly moving teeth and the cup 54 will catch oil from the upwardly moving teeth. In either direction of'rotation of the worm wheel one cup will always be in position to wipe oil from downwardly moving teeth which slope toward the cup.

The oil from the catch cups runs into the grooves 51 and 52 whence it runs into the bearings 27. It will be noted that slots 58 have been cut in the anges 42 for the purpose of allowing oil to run into the bearing spaces. Otherwise the flanges 42 and the outer races 28 would entirely close up the mouths of the oil grooves 51 and 52. Thus, a lubricating arrangement has been provided which is simple and effective in operation. It does not interfere with the usual splash lubrication action within :the housing l0 and'is especially useful at low Speeds for augmenting the lubrication provided by the splash. The cups 53 and 54 do not contact the gear in any way and yet perform in effect the function of wipers for removing the oil which is collected on the worm wheel.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In a worm gear reduction unit, a housing having cylindrical bearing portions on opposite walls of the housing, rolling friction type bearings having their outer races in said bearing portions, a substantially horizontal worm wheel shaft in the inner races of said bearings, said housing having an oil passage extending from one bearing to the other, a catch cup secured.

to said housing and disposed above and cornmunicating with said passage, said catch cup being spaced from the side ace of saidv worm wheel, but close enough to wipe off oil drops adhering to the lower ends of the sloping teeth on the worm wheel.

2. In a worm gear reduction unit, a housing comprisinga body, a cap fitting thereover, said body and cap having meeting faces, said cap and body having complementary cylindrical bearing portions on opposite walls of the housing, rolling friction type bearings having their outer races in said bearing portions, a worm wheel shaft in the inner races of saidI bearings, plates bolted to said housing to hold said bearings in position, said body having oil grooves.

in its meeting face one on eachside, and each oil groove extending from one bearing to the other, catch cups secured to ledges on said body and communicating with said groove, said cups being adjacent and spaced from opposite side faces of said worm wheel and at diametrically opposite points but close enough to wipe off oil drops from the teeth on the worm wheel, the teeth above said cups sloping toward said cups, said plates having notches to pass oil from said grooves into said bearings.

ll lili 3. In combination, a gear having teeth. sloping at an angle to the axis of the gear, means for journalling said gear to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, a catch receptacle located between the top and bottom of the gear and at a side face adjacent the lower ends of the sloping teeth, said receptacle Ibeing spaced from said side face but close enoughl to wipe off and catch drops of lubricant which adhere to the lower ends of those sloping teeth traveling downwardly, said drops being due to the lubricant collecting in the roots of the teeth at the top of the gear and following the slope of the teeth as they move downwardly from the top.

4. In combination, a worm wheel having teeth sloping at an angle to the axis of the gear, means for journalling said gear to rotate yabout a substantially horizontal axis, a catch receptacle located between the top and bottom of the worm wheel and at a side face adjacent the lower ends of the sloping teeth, said receptacle being spaced from said side face but close enough to wipe off and catch drops of lubricant which adhere to the lower ends of those sloping teeth traveling downwardly, said drops being ,due `to the ist lubricant collecting in the hollows formed by the roots of the teeth at the top of the worm wheel and following the slope of the teeth as they move downwardly from the top.

5. In combination, a worm wheel having teeth sloping at an angle to the axis of the gear, means for journalling said gear to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis, a catch receptacle located between the top and bottom of the worm wheel and at a side face adjacent the lower ends of the sloping teeth, said receptacle being spaced from said side face but close enough to wipe off and catch drops of lubricant which adhere to the lower ends of those sloping teeth traveling downwardly, said drops being due to the lubricant collecting in the hollows formed by the roots of the teeth at the top of the Worm wheel and following the slope of the teeth as they move downwardly from the top, and a second catch cup located at the opposite side face of the worm wheel and at the opposite peripheral face of the worm wheel to catch lubricant which may drop off of the upwardly moving teeth of the worm wheel, the action of the catch cups being reversed when the rotation of the worm wheel is reversed.

GEORGE H. ACKER. 

